Punjab Home Department has made it mandatory for all arms dealers across the province to maintain a digital inventory of their stock, introducing a technology based system for recording firearms, ammunition and related transactions. Dealers holding a Business Arms Licence have been directed to record complete details of their existing stock, purchases and sales through the Punjab Arms Licence online portal. The department has set August 26, 2026, as the deadline for dealers to upload their existing inventory and ensure that their digital records remain complete and updated. The initiative is part of a wider provincial effort to improve monitoring and record keeping within the licensed arms trade.
Under the new requirement, registered dealers will be responsible for maintaining updated information about their inventories through the online system. The Punjab Home Department has shared lists of registered arms dealers with deputy commissioners in districts across the province, with district administrations tasked with overseeing compliance and submitting reports after the digital inventory process is completed. Moving inventory records to an online platform is intended to provide authorities with a more accessible and centralized view of information held by licensed dealers. The digital system will also allow relevant records concerning purchases and sales to be maintained electronically rather than relying solely on conventional manual documentation.
To help dealers transition to the new digital process, Punjab Home Department is organizing a training workshop on the Punjab Arms Licence Inventory Module on August 24 at the Punjab Forensic Science Authority Auditorium. The session is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. and will provide dealers with guidance on using the online portal and uploading the required information. Dealers who are unable to attend the workshop physically will be able to participate online through their respective deputy commissioner offices. The training is also intended to give participants an opportunity to raise questions and report technical issues they may encounter while entering their inventory information into the system.
Dealers who fail to update their inventory within the specified deadline could face action under the applicable requirements, including suspension of licences, sealing of businesses and financial penalties. The Home Department said the digital inventory initiative is intended to improve oversight of licensed dealers, maintain more accurate records and enhance monitoring of the legal arms trade across Punjab. The move represents another expansion of digital record keeping within provincial government processes, with the Punjab Arms Licence portal being used to connect dealers and government authorities through an online system. The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on timely compliance by dealers, reliable operation of the portal and the ability of district authorities to monitor and maintain the submitted records.
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